Automatic weighing-machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. H. RICHARDS. AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MAGHNE.

No. 589,286. Patented Aug-81,1897.

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(No Model.)

I', H. RGHARDS. A'UToMATG WEIGHING MAGHNE. 180.589,28?` Patented Aug. 311897.

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(No Modell.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

P. H. RICHARDS. AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MACHINE.

No. 589,286. Patented Aug. 31,1897.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

I'. H. RICHARDS.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MACHINE.

No. 589,286. Patented Aug. 31,1897.

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Nonms uns oo, novanta-1o. wuHmaYuN n c UNITED STATES PATENT EEIcE.

vFRANCIS H. RlOHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNEOTICUT.

AUTOMATIC wElcHlNc-MACHINE.

SPECFCATON forming part of Letters Patent NO. 589,286, dated August 5,1, 1897.

Application tiled December 22, 1896. Serial No.616,614. (No modela T all whom, t may con/cera;

Beit known that I, FRANCIS H. RIcHAnDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented .certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Teighing-Machines, of which the following is a speciiieation.

This invention relates to weighing-machines, and particularly to that class ot' mechanism adapted for automatically weighing predetermined quantities of granular or other materials; and it has for its main object the provision of an improved machine of this character by means ot which sluggish materials-such, for example, as some kinds of flaky cereals used for break fast foodsm ay be supplied to the usual load-receiveror bucket without breaking the fiakes or separate particles of the mass or reducing them to a fine powder.

Another object ot the invention is the employment, in connection with the closer, of

closer-latehing means adapted for locking the closer of a singlechambered bucket in its open and closed positions, respectively, the preferred construction being one in which'the regulator serves as a closer-latching means, and is operative when in its non-regulating position to latch the closer shut and when in its regulating position to lock the closer open until all of the material from the buokethas passed by the regulator. I also em 11 loy,in.connection with suitable stream-supplying means and the usual bucket of an automatic weighingmachine, beam mechanism by means of which the bucket may be supported on beam-arms constructed as levers of different orders, and so organized and connected that the bucket will be supported at the free end of one or more beam-arms and will also be pivoted on another beamarm at a point between the beam-pivot and the point of connection ot' such beam with the other arms of the beam mechanism.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this speciticatioinhgure lis a sectional side elevation of a weighing-machine constructed in accordance with my present improvements and showing the valve open for delivering the full stream into the bucket. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the valve closed and the closer open and delivering material into a suitable hopper. Fig. 3 is a sectional rear elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is a plan of the same. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the same, the section being taken in line 5 5, Fig. l; and Fig. 6 isadetail hereinafter referred to.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The several operative parts of my improved machine are mounted upon a suitable framework, which in this instance comprises a hollow base 3, in which the beam mechanism is contained, and a hollow column or pillars, such as 2, secured to the rear end of said base, said hollow column supporting at its upper end a forwardly-exten ding trame member 5, while near the upper end ofthe column a forwardly-extcnding bracket is shown at G.

The stream-supplying means which l prefer to employ is in the lorm ot a hopper, and in the present instance it consists ot several nested truste-conical sections, the upper one of which is designated by 2O and may beiixed to the frame-piece 5 or formed integral therewith, while the lower-most section (designated by 22) is supported by the bracket (i, which bracket in the form shown herein is in the nature of an annulus encircling the section 22 and supporting the same on the upper and inner sides of said ann ulus. Between the sections and of the hopper is another section, which is designated by 2l, and may be loosely supported l'or rotation on the upper side otl the lower hopper-section 22, it being understood that the adjacent annular faces ot' these members where they contact should be smooth in order to permit the parts to turn readily upon one another.

The hopper illustrated in the drawings of this application is especially designed and intended to serve as a means for agitating the mass ofl material flowing therethrough, and I. have illustrated herein a suitable means for positively turning or rotating the two sections Ql and 22 thereof relatively to the upper or fixed sect-ion 20. Moreover, in the preferred construction I make use of driving means for imparting a relatively rapid turning movement or movement of rotation to one of the hopper-sections relatively to the other in order to agitate more thoroughly the mass IOO of material flowing through the hopper. The driving means employed in this instance for so rotating the hopper-sections will new be described. The main driving-wheel of the machine, 'from which power is obtained for operating the sections 2l and 22, is designated in a general way by D and is in the nature of a band-wheel supported on a short shaft 30, carrying` at the forward-end thereof a bevel-gear 3l, meshing with a corresponding bevel-gear 32, supported on a vertical shaft 33, mounted for rotation at one end in along journal in the frame-piece 5 and at its other end in a bearing S-t inside of the hollow column 2.

The shaft 33 constitutes a driving member for imparting movement te a train ef diilerential gearing, two driving members of which are tixed in the present instance on a long hub 35, journaled on the shaft o.) and having at its lower end one member 3d of a coupling device, the function of which will be hereinafter stated.

The two driving members of the differential-gear train are designated, resgectively, by 37 and 38 and will in this case mesh with corresponding gearsixed te the respective hopper-sections 2l and 22. In the construction shown two large annular gears (designated by 39 and t0) encircle the hopper-sections 21 and 22, respectively, and are fixed t-hereto, the gear 30 meshing with the small gear or pinion 37, while the smaller gear 40 meshes with the larger pinion or gear 3S on the driven member or hub 35. It will be obvious that when said hub is 'rotated the two pinions will turn and will rotate the gears 23) and 40, and thereby7 the hopper-sections 2l and 22, at different rates of speed, the lower section 22 being intended in this ease to rotate at a relatively rapid rate of speed as conipared with the movement ofthe hopper-section 2i. Hence when material is supplied to the fixed section 2O of the hopper ll it will flow therethrough into the section 2l, whereupon the turning movement of said section will cause the mass therein to be rotated and thoroughly agitated without breaking the separate particles thereof, while when said material reaches the lowermost section this latter, turning at a relatively rapid rate of speed with respect to the movement of the intermediate section, will agitate the material still more thoroughly before it is discharged into the load-receiver er bucket of the weighing mechanism.

The member 8G forms one part of a coupling device which is intended te alternately connect the hub 35 to and disconnect it from the shaft 33, the complementary member of the coupling device being designated by 3U and being fixed to the shaft so as to rotate therewith. The coupling member 36 is splined on said shaft to slide freely thereon and, as will be obvious, will cause the turning of the hopper-sections 2l and when the parts of the coupling are connected. This coupling action is intended to be effected on the ascent cf the bucket, a counterweighted lever being represented at 50 for this purpose. This lever is secured to a rock-shaft 5l, journaled at its opposite ends in the sides of the column 2, and said shaft has secured thereto three rock-arms, (designated by 52, 52', and 52", respectively, Figs. 3 and (3,) a connecting-rod (designated by 53) being pivoted between the free ends of the first two of the rock-arms and connected at its lower end to the beam mechanism. The rock-arms 52' and 52 have inwardly-projecting pins 54:, which work in a circumferential groove 55 in the coupling member 3U', these pins constituting shipping means for shiftingsucheonpling memberintoand out of engagemcntwith the complementary member 3U. The counterweighted lever 50 in this instance constitutes a valve-opening actuator for imparting an opening movement to a valve 72, which is mounted for oscillation in hangers G, depending from the sides of the bracket 6, as shown most clearly in Fig. This valve is of the usual type, adapted to oscillate about an axis passing through the stream delivered vfrom the hopper ll, and is connected to the actuating-lever 50 by means of a link 5G, articulated to a pair of rock-arms 57and 5S, the former ofwhich is fixed to and has its axis ef movement coincident with that of the valve 2 and the latter of which is fixed on the end of the rock-shaft 5l.. The valve 72 also carries in this casein fixed relation therewith the usual stop-segment 90, which is adapted to cooperate with a corresponding stop or rocker 91, supported for oscillation by a roekshaft 5f), jonrnaled in bearings on the top of the bucket. (See Fig. il.) These two stops constitute, as will be evident, reciprocallyeii'ective valvc-opening-movement and loaddiseharging-movement limiters, the stop 9i being connected to the closer by means of the usual thrust-rod 92.

The load-receiver or bucket of the weighing mechanism is designated in a general way by G and is pivoted in the usual manner upon the arms of the beam mechanism, which will be hereinafter more particularly described.

The usual counterweighted closer L is piveted to the bucket at one side of the mouth thereof, and this closer has at its edges stops in the form of antifriction-rolls Tti, these stops being adapted to cooperate with suitable latches, one of which is intended to lock the closer shut and the other to hold the closer in its open position while the load is discharging and until all of the material shall have run out of the bucket. For this purpose I cmploy in connection with the closer a doubleactien closer-latch, which is preferably in the form of a closcr-latching regulator, which regulator is held in position to prevent the shut-ting of the closer until all of the material discharged from the bucket shall have passed beyond the regulator and into some suitable receiving bin or receptacle. is designated by R, it being oscillatory and mounted on the side of the bucket in such a manner that when it is in position to lock the closer shut and is tripped to release the closer it will swing, preferably by reason of its own weight, into position for latching the closer open. In the present instance this regulator preferably comprises a pair of side arms 05, connected at their lower ends by a plate or blade 00, which constitutes the regulator proper. The side frames 95 have thereon a pair of stop-faces in the form of catches, these being designated, respectively, by 07 and 0S and being connect ed in this case by cam-faces 99, along which the respective rolls travel when the closer moves from one position to the other. At the upper ends thereof the arms 95 are journaled on studs 100 on the sides of the bucket G, and one of these arms has secured thereto a short angle-arm or rockarm 101, which carries suitable devices for releasing the regulator when the closer is to be opened. These devices may comprise a link 102, pivotally connected with the end of the arm 101 and having pivotally secured thereto near 'the center thereof a second link 1033, which is pivoted at its other end on the side of the bucket, and a by-pass lever or stop loosely pivoted on the end of the arm 101, with its axis of movement coincident with that of the link 102. This by-pass lever is designated by 10i and at its forward end supports and bears against the forward end of the link 102, while at the rear end of said by-pass is a rearwardly-projeeting arm 101 in position to be actuated by any suitable tripper on the descent of the bucket, to thereby release the regulator and unlatch the closer. The tripper employed in this case is in the form of a trip-lever10, mounted on the framework-as, for instance, on the side of the hoilow column 2-said lever being operatively connected to the beam mechanism by means of a connecting rod or link 100 and having its forward or free end in position to engage the cooperative rear end 101 of the by-pass lever on the descent of the bucket7 it being apparent that on the ascent of the bucket the end of the trip-lever will raise the rear end of said by-pass lever and pass by the same withoutoperatingthetoggle connection. The beam mechanism which I prefer to employ is in this case inclosed entirely within the base 3 of the machine, and it comprises two beams, one of which is designated in a general way by B, while the other is indicated by B. For the purpose of properly supporting the bucket the beam B is preferablymade up of two beam-arms, which are designated, respectively, by 107 and 107, (see Fig. 5,) both of these arms being levers of the first order, having their beam-pivots between the ends thereof. These beam-pivots are shown at 108 and rise from the floor of the base 3, while a third bea m-pivot is represented at 100 in the rear of the pivots 10S for the purpose of- Said regulator supportingthebeam-armll'.

This beam-arm is a lever of a different order, having its beampivot at the forward end thereof, while the bucket-pivot is between the beam-pivot and the rear end of such beam-arm. In the case of the beam-arms 107 and 107 it will be noticed that the bucket-pivots are in advance of t-he beam-pivots and are carried at the extreme forward ends of said beam-arms.

It will be apparent that when the bucket Vis in position and properly supported on the beam mechanism the forward short ends of the beam-arms 107 and 107 will be carried down on the descent of the beam mechanism, and thus cause the rear ends of said arms to rise and travel through an arc of relatively considerable radius, while on said movement of the bucket the beam B will be carried down as a whole, its rear end also moving through a considerable arc. 1t will be obvious now that for properly connecting these beam-arms some means must be provided which will have at one point therein an ascending movement and at another a descending movement. Hence I have provided a rockframe, which in this instance comprises a pair of end pieces 110 and 110', (sce Fig. 5,) connected by a bar or rod 112, the arms 110 and 110 being journaled for oscillation in bearings 113 and 113, rising from the floor of the base 3. At the forward ends of said arms 1.10 and 110' the rear ends of the beam-arms 107 and 107 are connected thereto in any suitable manner, while the beam B is also joined at its rear end to the rock-frame in the rear of the axis of movement of the latter. In the present case two divided arms 111i and 11st of the beam B are supported on the cross-bar 112 by means of suitable knife-edge bearings.

it will be noted that in the construction shown in the drawings of this application no counterweight is carried directly by the several parts of the beam mechanism, but instead a suitable counterpoise is mounted on the framework of the machine and is properly connected with the beam mechanism for counterpoising the latter. The counterweighted lever 50 constitutes in this instance the counterpoise for such beam mechanism and is joined thereto, as before stated, by means of the connecting-rod 53, this connecting-rod being intended in this instance to engage an ex* tension 112' of the rock-bar 112 at the rear of said rock-bar and at the under side thereof, so as to support the same. Suitable knifeedge bearings are shown in the drawings for properly carrying these parts.

1t will be apparent that when the bucket descends if the arms of the beam-levers are properly proportioned the weight of the loaded bucket will be divided evenly between the two beams B and ll, the rear ends of the arms of the former pulling up on the forward ends of the rock-arms 110 and 110' and the rear ends of the arms of the beam Bbearing down upon the rear ends of said rock-arms and exerting thereon practically the same IIO pressure, thus equalizing the strain at opposite sides of the rock-frame. rl`he counterweight 50 of course exerts a constant upward pull upon the connecting-rod 53, and thereby tends to maintain at all times the proper connection between the lower end of said rod and the rock-frame.

rlhe operation of a weighii'ig-niaehine constructed in accordance with my present improvemen ts is as follows: It being understood that the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. l, with the valve wide open and delivering material into the bucket, the closer shut tight, and the band-wheel D continuously rotating and driving the bevel-gears 3l and 32 and the shaft 33, it will be seen that the members of the coupling device are coupled and that the differential gearing` is turning the sections 2l and 22 of the hopper, the 'former at a relatively slow speed and the latter at a considerably faster rate, so as to agitate positively the material in the hopper, and thereby assure the proper feeding of the same into the bucket4 At the same time also the rocker 90 is in position to block the movement of the rocker 91, and thereby prevent the opening of the closer, while the catches 97 on the regulator R are in engagement with the stops or rolls 7G on the closer. As soon as the load is made up in the bucket the latter descends, and the rock-bar 112 draws down the connecting-rod 53 and oseillates the eounterweighted lever 50 from the position shown in Fig. l to that illustrated in Fig. 9, at the same time withdrawing the coupling member 3U from engagen'lent with the upper member 3G of the clutch. This oscillation of the lever 50 is transmitted, by means of the link 56 and the rock-arms 57 and 5S, to the valve 72 and causes the valve to gradually close to cut oll' the stream discharged from the hopper Il. As soon as the valve is entirely shut and the members oi' the clutch disconnected it will be apparent that the weight ol' the material in the several sections of the hopper and the friction of the moving` parts will cause the rotation of the gears of the differential train to stop instantly, thus stopping' the movement of the hopper-sections 2l and The descent of the beam ll also causes the trip-lever 10.5 to be carried down with it, and as soon as the full load is completed in the bucket the forward end of the trip-lever will be in position to engage the rear end lOl of the by-pass lever mountedon the regulator and bearing down on the rear end of said by-pass will cause the lorward end of the latter to push up on the forward end ot the link 102 of the toggle connection to straighten out said toggle and throw the regulator R slightly forward to release the latches 97 from the `rolls '70. As

soon as the closer is unlatehed the material will flow out of the bucket and carry the closer to the position shown in Fig. 2 and will also carry with it the regulator, the rolls 76 riding down the cam-faces 99 and being stopped at the ends thereof against the stop-faces 9S ot' the regulator-arms, thus causing the closer to be latchcd in its open position.

Some suitable discharge-hopper, such as P, will receive the material [lowing l'rom the bucket and will bank such material up against the forward face of the regulator and hold the latter in its regulating position (shown in Fig. 2) until all ol the material has passed out of the bucket and beyond the lower end of the regulator, whereupon the counterweight carried by the closer will become effective by engagement of the rolls 7h against the camiaces 99, to carry the regulator back to the position shown in Fig. i, and said regulator will latch the closer shut again. (')n the ascent of the bucket and the return of the beam mechanism toits normal position the counterweight 50 will descend again and. carry up the clutch member 3G into position to couple the driving and driven members controlled thereby, and thus start the hopper-sections 2l and 22 rotating. At thesamc time the counterweight 50 becomes effective as a valveopening actuator to carry the valve to its wide-open position and permit the stream to ilow again into the bucket, whereupon all oi' the parts will have been restored to their normal positions for making up a new load.

In view of my pending application, Serial No. 613,511,1iled November 27, 1896, I do not herein claim, in a weighing mechanism, the combination,with a bucket, ot'a bucket-closer, and a closer-latching regulator having a latch thereon for holding the bucket-closer when the latter is open, and thereby latching the closer in its open position, nor do I broadly claim herein regulator mechanism operative to control the opening and closing of a'bucketcloser.

Having described my invention, l claim-- l.. ln a weighing mechanism, the combination, with a transversely-divided hopper comprising a plurality of stream-supplying' hopper-sections, et power mechanism for actuating one of said sections in a curvilinear path; and stream-eontrolling means controlling the delivery of material from said hopper.

ln a weighing mechanism, the combination, with a transversely-divided hopper comprising a plurality of rotary strcam-si'lpplying hopper-sections, of power mechanism for rotating one of said sections; and stream-con-l trolling means controlling' the delivery ol material from said hopper.

f3. The combination, with a divided hopper comprising` a plurality of stream-snpplying hopper-sections, of means for actuating said sections at different rates of speed.

1l. In a weighing mechanism, the combination, with a transversely-divided hoppereomprising a pair ol' stream-supplying hoppersect-ions, one supported on the other; of power mechanism lor actuating' one of said sections in a curvilinear path; and strea11i-controlling means controlling the delivery of material from said hopper.

IOC

IIO

ln a weighing mechanism, the combination, with a transversely-divided hopper embodying a pair of stream-supplying hoppersections, the upper supported on the lower; of power mechanism for actuating the upper section in a curvilinear path; and streamcontrolling means controlling the delivery of material from said hopper.

G. The combination, with a pair of streamsupplying hopper-sections, of a d living-shaft; and differential gearing connecting said shaft and hopper-sections.

'7. The combination, with a plurality of stream-supplyinghopper-sections, of a driving member; a driven member connected with one of the hopper-sections, for turning the same; a bucket; beam mechanism; and a clutch operative with the beam mechanism, for connecting and disconnecting said driving and driven members.

S. The combination, with a plurality of stream-supplying hopper-sections, of a driving-shaft; a differential gearing connected with said hopper-sections, for rotating the same at different rates of speed; a bucket; beam mechanism; and a clutch operative with the beam mechanism, for connecting said driving-shaft and differential gearing on the ascent of the bucket and for disconnecting them on the descent of the bucket.

9. In a weighing mechanism, the combination, with a bucket, of a bucket-closer; and a double-action closer-latching regulator having a pair of catches operative, when the regulator is in its non-regulating and regulating positions, respectively, for latching the closer in its respective shut and open positions.

l0. In a weighing mechanism, the combination, with a bucket, of a counterweighted bucket-closer having a stop; and an oscillatory closer-latching regulator mounted on the bucket and adapted to be held in its regulating position by the material discharged Yfrom the bucket, and having a pair of catches in position, respectively, Vfor ei'igaging the stop on the closer when said closer is in its respective closed and open positions.

il. ln aweighingmechanism, the combination, with a bucket and with a closer therefor, of a closer-latch mounted on the bucket; a toggle connection between said latch and the bucket; a by-pass lever on said latch, for actuating said toggle; and a tripper for operating said lever.

l2. In a weighing mechanism, the combination, with a bucket and with stream-supplying means therefor; of bucket-supporting beam mechanism comprising a rock-frame, a pair of pivotally-supported beam-arms having bucket-pivots at corresponding ends thereof and connected at their opposite ends to the rock-frame at one side of the axis of movement of the latter, and a pivotally-supported beam-arm between said pair of beamarms and having a bucket-pivot between its supporting-pivot and the free end thereof and connected at its free end with said rock- Yframe at the opposite side of the axis of movement of said frame.

i3. ln a weighing mechanism, the combination,with the fra1ne\vork,of a bucket; streamsupplying means therefor; bucket-supporting beam mechanism comprising a pair of pivotally supported connected beams, one having a bucket-pivot at the end thereof opposite its point of connection with the other beam, and the other having a bucket-pivot between its supporting-pivot and such point of connection; a counterweighted lever supported on the framework and connected with said beam mechanism; a driving member; a driven member; and a coupling member operative b v said lever, for coupling the driving and driven members.

FRANCIS ll. RICHARDS.

lVitnesses:

HENRY BissnLL, Gno. A. HOFFMAN. 

